Title

Author

Date of Award

Degree Type

Degree Name

Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

Department

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

First Advisor

Barty Warren-Kretzschmar

Second Advisor

Dave Evans

Third Advisor

Roslynn Brain McCann

Abstract

The Colorado Plateau region of southeastern Utah is geographically unique. Iconic sandstone geological formations, such as the famous Delicate Arch, which adorns Utah license plates, dot the landscape. This beautiful environment has inspired the formation of national and state parks, as well as a multitude of diverse recreation areas.

Affordable housing in Moab and Spanish Valley is a key issue for the development of the valley. This has been well documented by the Moab Area Housing Task Force (MAHTF) in its 2017 Moab Area Affordable Housing Plan. This Plan B Thesis Project builds on the work of the task force, by documenting efforts to address where and how affordable housing might be located in the valley.

In order to develop consensus around the location of affordable housing, a geodesign workshop was sponsored and hosted by the task force, and prepared and facilitated by Barty Warren-Kretzschmar and Matthew Starley. In the scope of the following thesis, using Geodesignhub software, stakeholders in the area gathered to identified areas where housing might be located.

Workshop results were analyzed in order to identify a priority focus area for locating affordable housing, and from those results, a priority focus area for locating affordable housing was identified by the MAHTF. Three design concepts for this area have been created that integrate the results of the workshop as well as the results of a study of design strategies and housing typologies appropriate for Moab and Spanish Valley.